IMA plans to run OPD services soon

May ask state branches to follow suit

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is planning to run OPD services for patients soon. While poor patients will be treated for free, others will have to pay a nominal registration fee of Rs 10.

The project, which is to be launched on December 31, will not only be Delhi specific. The IMA is considering writing to all state branches so that a similar initiative is taken across cities to treat patients.

This will ensure that more people across the country have basic access to healthcare services at low cost. The outdoor patient department (OPD) will include services for general and special categories. The OPD services will function from the IMA House in ITO here.

Doctors of the medical body will attend to patients mostly on a rotational basis. However, the details of the project is yet to be worked out.

“We are working on the concept. It has not been decided if the OPD services will run on all seven days a week. Doctors associated with the body will run both general and special services for patients,” said Dr K K Aggarwal, Honorary General Secretary elect, IMA. Dr Aggarwal will succeed to the post on November 20.

Patients will be treated for free as the medical body will not be incurring any cost. The nominal fee is to ensure that there are no freak cases. “The vision is to bring community-level service at the national level. Through this project we can achieve that,” said Dr Aggarwal.

“Also, the aim is to take some burden off the government hospitals. Anybody can just walk in here for treatment,” he added.The IMA is also planning to take responsibility of one poor patient who needs surgical intervention.

“This will be done either with coordination with government hospitals or other charitable hospitals,” said Dr Aggarwal.Patients can also collect medicines from the IMA House at subsidised rates. The IMA is tying up with two pharmacies which will give “heavy discounts” to patients who buy drugs there.

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